Unleash
by Talos the Saiyan
Summary: Vegeta and Goku met in battle for the first and last time.   Goku loses and Vegeta wins.  But victory comes at a great price for the Prince of Saiyans.  Goku loses. But something far worse has risen in his place...


The two warriors duelled under the mid-day sun. Blows moving so fast they blurred, teqniques so perfect it was like a duel between masters,

It _was _a duel between masters.

On one side, Gokue, the pure-hearted Saiyan of earth. He was the lower-tier fighter in this titanic struggle. His power reserves were waning but with a brave heart and a fierce determination he pushed himself into the fight. Though his body was battered and in pain, the grin on his face betrayed his Saiyan heritage even in this dark hour.

He was fighting and loving it.

But even so, in his eyes you could see. See the cold knowledge of what could happen were he to fail. He knew what the Saiyans had done; he knew the specifics. He had been told by King Kai himself. Told the murderous history of the Saiyan race. The race to which he also belonged.

The other fighter was less obviously intimidating but far more dangerous. Clothed in the grey ceramic armour favoured by the Saiyan elite; his hair was dark and spiked up at the front. His eyes were steely and void of compassion. But burned with a light of rage. His movements were clipped and far more militaristic than his foe's. Drilled to perfection via years of combat, this man was undoubtedly Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans.

The two met in mid-air. The sound of a thousand blows echoed through the rocky desolation in which they made their stand. Vegeta fell back nursing a bloody nose, Goku with a black eye. Goku was gasping for air. They took a moment and for a second, there was only the howling of the wind.

"You're not too bad..." Goku murmured, carefully keeping to his guard while he chekce3d his energy levels. Low. Not good. But who had expected Vegeta to be this tough? Of course, King Kai had told him, had warned him. But after defeating Nappa so easily he had dared to hope that he might see off this thread without bloodshed.

Not so...

Tien... Yamcha...

Dead by the time he got there. He had been too slow for them. He'd arrived to face every father's nightmare. His son on the ground. The big Saiyan Nappa about to land the final blow.

Rage had overtaken his heart. Such rage that still made him fear. It wasn't the red hot anger that he had felt before. No, this was different. Worse. Icy daggers of hate that dug into his hear and clawed across his spine. That was like nothing he had ever felt. Goku had been a fighter for most of hjs life, he'd even killed before. He'd seen death in many forms.

But seeing that...

Something had snapped just for a moment and he had struck. Nappa was crippled with casual ease and only with the most extreme effort could he prevent himself from dealing the final blow. It had been like - for an instant - someone else had had control of his body. Someone who was just like him, but all wrong.

And that someone had wanted to - no, _needed _to kill. Gohan had been an excuse, a trigger.

And that was the most terrifying part. His own son had been but a trigger. What could happen if such a rage overtook him again? What could he do?

And so, even as he fought for his life and the life of his planet, Goku was not entirely focused on the battle.

Perhaps that could explain why Vegeta seemed to have gained the upper hand so easily. Vegeta's strength was impressive, more than Goku could have suspected or feared. Even with the added power of the Kioken teqnique, it was all Goku could do to hold his own.

He wasn't winning. But he wasn't losing ether.

But sooner or later that would change. One of them would win and he had to make sure it was him. The fate of the whole world depended on it.

He struck. Lancing out with a palmstrike to the armoured chest of his foe. Vegeta side-stepped and lashed out with a double-fist to the spine. Goku cried out as pain flared acros shis body./ But he was tough and turned in mid-air. Smashing a kick into the prince's face and sending him tumbling into the air.

With no time to waste, Goku gathered Ki into each hand and launched a withering barrage of blasts. Several of them struck Vegeta mid-flight and exploded with mighty force. Goku braced against the shock as the cloud of smoke overcame his rival.

Was this it...?

No...

Far too easy.

He leapt to the side just as a purple beam of light smashed into the spot he'd been standing. The ground exploded and he was caught in the shockwave. Flung into the air with a cry of pain.

Vegeta was waitng. Launching a barrage of fists into his chest and gut, pain made him double up and Vegeta sent him to the ground with a mighty blow.

After the pain had cleared, he tried to blink away the red in his vision.

_Well...that could have worked better,... _He groaned weakly. His limbs felt like jelly. His heart hammered in his chest and his mouth tasted like blood.

"Gah..." He gasped. Fighting through the weakness, the world around him began to clear and he could see again.

Vegeta was floating there. Arms crossed. A smirk on his face.

"Well, well Kakerot." He said with that smug tone in his voice. "I have to congratulate you on lasting so long against an elite-ranked warrior such as myself. I really expected you to die in moments. Your endurance certainly was impressive. It is a pity that you ignored my offer of partnership. But then, I suppose a low-class dog like you couldn't possibly understand the honour that was being offered. Such a pity."

Pain burned across his body; every nerve, every muscle was aflame. He forced himself to breath anyway. Though each breath felt like he was forcing ground glass into his lungs. His energy levels were pitifully low. But that was fine. He had enough for what he would need.

This was going to hurt a lot.

"What's this? Still some fight left in you? Pathetic. You should know when you are defeated."

"I'll be defeated..." Goku breathed. " When you're off this world! Ki-O-Ken times ten!"

A new wave of strength overtook him; a massive surge of Ki blasting apart the rocks he had landed in. The smug look on Vegeta's face was still there as Goku rose up and smashed a blow into it. Vegeta staggered back, shock making his reactions slow. Goku knew better than to let him recover so he charged with a roar.

Smash a blow into the chest to keep him off balance, a kick to the legs to stop him from recovering. A stab to the throat to block breath. Don't let him recover, give him even one second and his strength will let him regain the advantage. Now, he's in pain and off-guard. Strike with a Ki blast up close and send him back.

The explosion knocked both of them into the air. Goku had braced for it, Vegeta hadn't. Goku roared again and summoned more power-

-and cried out in agony as the cost of the Kioken slammed into him. Muscles already pushed to the brink screamed in pain; his very soul felt like it was being wrenched from his mortal coil. The pain lasted longer than he last wave too, the more power he drew using the ancient technique, the higher the cost and he was fast reaching his limits.

But he couldn't concern himself with that now! Focus... blink back the pain... Vegeta was..

Gone.

Where did he go?

Panic seized Goku as he spun around in time for an armoured first to plant itself into his face. Blood trailed him as he fell back. Vegeta was not smirking anymore. There was a light of fury in his eyes as he followed.

Punches lanced into his throat and chest. Agony doubled and redoubled as his already abused body took one of the worst beatings of its life. All through it, Vegeta's fury was obvious.

"You _dare _strike the Prince of Saiyans? You _dare _lay a hand upon me? You low class scum! You are not worthy of even licking my boots! You are not even worthy of fighting in the same area as me! You are scum! Scum! Scum! Scum! I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

A crippling blow smacked into his face, the world blurred and flashed about him. A scything kick cracked his ribs, a final blast of Ki smashed him into the ground with an explosion of pain and blood.

This time, he couldn't feel his limbs at all.

The world began to go cold and grey. One more, panic rose up in him.

_No, no no! Its not supposed to be like this... I trained... I have to win... if I don't, Yamcha and the others.. and Gohan and Krillin And the whole world._

_I can't lose!_

As he thought this, the world wavered around him and once more regained sense.

He was lying in a crater caused by his sudden and painful descent. His body was a mass of bruises and cuts. His ribs were cracked and every muscle felt like it was on fire. How many bones he had broken...? Too many to count.

And yet despite all this, despite all the work and all the pain, Vegeta still stood before him. Blood oozed from several cuts across his face and he was certainly not looking quite as smug as when the fight started. But nether was he in really bad condition. He was quite clearly winning this fight.

It hardly seemed fair...

With a sinking feeling, Goku realised that his limbs refused to move. His body had taken a real beating today - moreso than at any part of his life. It had simply shut down.

_No! _He thought desperately, thinking of his friends and family. All of whom would die if he failed... if Vegeta got the dragon balls who knew what he could do? All of it would be his faulty if he _couldn't start moving right this very second! _

Some strength returned. Only a trickle and the pain worsened but it was enough. Not daring to even try the Kioken this time, Goku reached out for an overhanging rock and tried to drag himself slowly to his feet.

"You..." Vegeta growled..." You arrogant dog. Even when I have beaten you down, you get back up. Even when I - the Prince of all Saiyans and the most powerful of all our kind - tell you to die, you refuse. You, but a low class dog. You, who have never purged a world. You, who are not fit to lick the soles of my boots. What makes you so special? What gives you that right? Why are you so defiant?"

"I won't...won't let you...kill this world..." Goku growled through the pain. " I'll stop you..."

He glared at the other Saiyan, willing it to return some of his power. But he could feel nothing but the bone-deep pain that resounded in his body. He couldn't even bring himself to feel the joy of battle that was part of all Saiyans.

This was the end. A part of him said. He had done all he could, he had fought and fought and fought even as the effort tore his body to pieces. But had this ever been a foe that he could defeat? Perhaps Vegeta was right after all... perhaps...

No!

No! He wasn't a Saiyan like him. He wasn't bound to some stupid cast system. Strength was decided by your heart and by your talent. He was Son Goku. He had fought for his friends for as long as he could remember. He would not, could not, lose.

"I'll not let you win." He repeated, this time in a stronger voice. He searched himself, searched deep. Deep as he could. He needed more strength, needed more power.. There had to be something. Some hidden reserve that he could use. Something burred at the very bottom of his soul.

He sent tiny feelers of Ki deep down as far as they could go. Into his soul itself. Anything. Everything. He could die in the attempt. It wouldn't matter. Just so long as he could stop this monster. So long as he could save the earth one more time.

"Kakerot. You cannot win. My superiority is obvious even to one as thick as yourself. Give up and die you miserable worm!"

"My name..."

A sudden burst of wind and Goku slammed a fist into Vegeta's lower chest. Armour splintered and blood gushed from the fresh wound.

"Is Goku."

Vegeta spat blood as Goku landed a thunderous blow to the upper chest, kicked his legs out form under him and smashed an elbow into his gut.

"I won't give up!" He roared. His streng5th already lagging. But he pushed on; all thoughts of survival now vanished. All that mattered was that he win. That he could save the earth.

"I won't let you have your way!"

Vegeta was tossed into the air as Goku spammed several highly charged blasts of energy, sapping his fading reserves even more,. But each hit with a deadly accuracy and each one exploded with the force of a mighty bomb.

"I don't care that you're the prince of the Saiyans! I don't care that you're some high and mighty warrior!"

Goku phased behind Vegeta's flailing body and launched an assult there. Aiming to snap the spine as he had done with Nappa. But the Prince was faster and stronger than the bald Saiyan and so, the two warred, blows landing and drawing blood on both sides. But after a moment of struggle, Vegeta bounced off the ground at an angle and there was a crack of breaking bone.

"You come to my home and threaten my friends and family? I won't let you get away with that!"

Before Vegeta could hit the ground again, he caught himself and turned. His eyes were burning with such fury now. A great anger burning in his breast.

"You... you" He didn't even have words to describe it. Simply the all consuming hate. The most hate he had ever felt for any living thing. He hated Goku. Hated him more than Frieza. Hated him more than the being who had destroyed his entire race.

"I'll break you! I'll cripple you and I'll crush your mind! And only when there is nothing left, only when your will is extinguished and you've seen all you love die. Only then, ''Goku'' will I allow you to die."

"Try it."

Goku phased behind him again. Vegeta spun and parried the next blow, dodged the follow up and smashed a fist of his own into Goku's chest.

"Gladly..."

A spear of purple light lanced through the pure-hearted Saiyan's chest in a spray of blood. The shocked expression on Goku's face didn't fade as he fell to his knees.

"You let your guard down Kakerot. Or was it ''Goku''? You let anger make you into even more of a fool. What kind of disgrace to the Saiyan species are you? What kind of warrior could you ever be?"

Goku didn't make a sound; too busy clutching at the hole in his chest and duelling the rising agony within his own mind.

"Oh don't worry, I didn't hit anything vital. You'll live. For a while. That's the beauty of a Ki blast, ''Goku'' it cauterizes. You'll lose no more blood from that wound. Now, where were we? Ah yes. I was going to destroy everything that you ever cared for, yes?"

Goku felt a sudden horror sieze upon him as the realization of what Vegeta meant dawned.

"No!"

"Yes..." Vegeta said, his smirk returning. " If memory serves, those two fools who tried to defeat us earlier are still somewhere here. They were your friends, were they not? I think we can all see where this is going."

He cast about him. Looking for the two idiots. The monk and the child who had tried to fight Nappa, and who had been saved when Kakerot first appeared. At the time, they had annoyed him but now...

Now he would use them to break Kakerot. To grind him to dust and to prove that no one and nothing defied the Prince of the Saiyans!

There. The monk and the child. The monk was still, having taken a blow to the face early in the fight. The child was crouched by his side, angry and sullen as he watched his father being beaten into the ground.

The fear was clear in his eyes as they locked with Vegeta's. Good. At least the son of the worm knew fear even if the father didn't. But that would change. He would _make _the father know fear. Fear, horror and pain in that order.

He grinned. The child shook. Though he did not hear the words Vegeta had exchanged with his father. He was terrified and yet he did not run. Did not hide. Defiance in his eyes even now.

So much like his father.

The blast of energy lanced through the air faster than the child could move. He cried out in horror as the blast consumed the bald one in an explosion of gore.

"Krillin!" Kakerot roared. " You...you monster..."

The child was running now, fear lending speed to his flight. But not fast enough. Not nearly fast enough.

With a predatory grin on his face, Vegeta took aim.

"That death was quick, ''Goku''. This one will not be."

"Gohan! Gohan run! Run as fast as you can!"

With a flash of blood and light; the beam flew true. The child known as Gohan went down in a fountain of blood. Goku couldn't speak. Numb horror rising within him as his son died screaming.

_No... _ It was small. A denying of reality. He'd seen it happening. He'd sensed it happening. Sensed the life leave his son's body as Vegeta...

No...

Nonononononno!

Vegeta threw back his head and howled with savage laughter.

"And that is how a half-breed dies! Next, I'll kill your mate, ''Goku'' I'll kill this whole planet. I'll force you to watch. I'll force you to watch everything you love being destroyed. You defied me. You defied the Prince of the Saiyans and so, I will break you. ''Goku'' I will utterly destroy you."

"You..."

Goku didn't know what to say. All the life seemed to have flowed out of his body. All emotion fled but the grief... Grief so strong it pulled him down. Grief so powerful it formed a whirlpool of emotion. Crushing him against rocky shores of despair. Dragging him down. Down to the very seat of his soul.

Where something rose to meet him.

Vegeta was still laughing; still glorifying in the destruction of his rival. Still not paying attention to the battle.

The lance of energy took him in the side of the chest. He floundered, tumbling over with the force of the hit.

"You still have some strength left, ''Goku''? I thought that had all left you with the death of your spawn."

"My name..."

And then the ground shook as the being before him summoned a massive surge of Ki. It pulsed and flowed around him as he slowly rose top his feet. Smoothly and without sign of pain.

"Is Kakerot."

"Hmmp. Whatever your name, you are dead. I'll kill you with my bare hands!" 

"No..." Kakerot saids, for the first time, looking like a real Saiyan. " You'll try. But in the end, its you who is going to die ''Prince of the Saiyans.'' I should really thank you for letting me loose. I'd never have done it without you."

Vegeta opened with a barrage of punches. Blindingly fast and capable of breaking a mountain in half.

Kakerot countered each and every one of them without the merest sign of effort.

"As a reward. I'll make your death quick."


End file.
